JP2021157102A - Pressure device and pressurization processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To enable a change of contact pressure distribution in a contact area between pressurizing elements of a paired structure to be suppressed, even by causing a drive reaction force to act on the pressurizing elements when the pressurizing elements of a contact/separation paired structure are driven by being brought into contact.SOLUTION: The present invention comprises: a first pressurizing element 2; a second pressurizing element 3 for holding a medium S between the first pressurizing element 2 and itself and applying pressure; contact/separation means 4 for moving the second pressurizing element 3 closer to or away from the first pressurizing element 2 between a contact position and a retreat position; urging means 6 for urging the first pressurizing element 2 toward the second pressurizing element 3; and drive means 7 for adding a drive force to the second pressurizing element 3 and causing the first pressurizing element 2 to be driven. The contact/separation means 4 is provided on the side of the second pressurizing element 3 that is opposite a contact area CN of the first pressurizing element 2 and second pressurizing element 3, and includes a moving element 5 for moving the second pressurizing element 3 toward the first pressurizing element 2. The drive means 7 adds a drive force in a direction in which the second pressurizing element 3 is pressed against the moving element 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a pressurizing device and a pressurizing processing device using the pressurizing device.

Conventionally, as a pressurizing device of this type, for example, the one described in Patent Document 1 is already known.
Patent Document 1 describes a heating portion having a member addressed to the inner surface of an endless belt heated by a heating source, a roll member that receives a medium between the endless belt and the endless belt, a pressurizing mechanism that pressurizes the roll member, and a roll member. A fixing device having a pressurizing portion provided with a moving mechanism for changing a pressing force distribution in a holding region sandwiching a medium by moving the position of the above is disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-186304 (Form for carrying out the invention, FIG. 4)

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is that, in an embodiment provided with a pair of pressure elements that can be brought into contact with each other, a driving reaction force is applied to the pressure element when the pressure elements of the pair are brought into contact with each other to be driven. It is an object of the present invention to provide a pressurizing device capable of suppressing fluctuations in contact pressure distribution in a contact region between paired pressurizing elements, and a pressurizing device using the pressurizing device.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a second pressurizing element is provided so as to face the first pressurizing element and a medium is sandwiched between the first pressurizing element to pressurize. The pressure element, the contact / detachment means for bringing the second pressure element into contact with the first pressure element between the contact position and the retracted position, and the second pressure element are the above. A urging means that urges the first pressure element toward the second pressure element when it is located at the contact position, and a driving force is applied to the second pressure element to provide a driving force to the second pressure element. The pressure element is provided with a driving means for driving the first pressure element when the pressure element is located at the contact position, and the contact / detachment means is the first of the second pressure elements. It has a moving element which is provided on the side opposite to the contact area between the pressure element and the second pressure element and moves the second pressure element toward the first pressure element side. The driving means is a pressurizing device characterized in that the driving force is applied in a direction in which the second pressurizing element is pressed against the moving element side.

The invention according to claim 2 is the pressurizing device according to claim 1, wherein the first pressurizing element is heated by a heating source.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the pressurizing device according to the second aspect, the first pressurizing element heats an endless belt member with a heating source and faces the second pressurizing element. The pressurizing device is characterized in that an opposing member is installed on the back surface of the belt member.
The invention according to claim 4 is the pressurizing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the urging means applies an elastic urging force by compressive deformation to the first pressurizing element. It is a pressurizing device characterized by.
The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in the pressurizing device according to claim 4, the first pressurizing element can be retracted within a range smaller than the amount of contact and detachment of the second pressurizing element. It is a pressurizing device.
The invention according to claim 6 is the pressurizing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the moving element is configured so that the moving element can swing around a swing fulcrum. A rocking member that moves the second pressure element in contact with and detached from the supported portion of the pressure element, and a displacement that displaces the rocking member so as to swing within a predetermined range. It is a pressurizing device characterized by having a member.
The invention according to claim 7 is the pressurizing device according to claim 6, wherein the displacement member is an eccentric rotating member.
The invention according to claim 8 is the pressurizing device according to claim 7, wherein the swinging member has a cam follower at a contact portion with the eccentric rotating member.
According to the invention of claim 9, in the pressurizing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in the driving means, the driving force acting point on the second pressurizing element is the movement of the contacting / detaching means. The contact between the first pressure element and the second pressure element is located upstream of the support point of the second pressure element by the element in the rotation direction of the second pressure element. It is a pressurizing device characterized in that it is located on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the second pressurizing element with respect to the region.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the pressurizing device according to the ninth aspect, the driving means separates the second pressurizing element from the contact area at a point of action of a driving force on the second pressurizing element. It is a pressurizing device characterized by having a drive transmission system that gives a driving force in a direction.
The invention according to claim 11 is the pressurizing device according to claim 10, wherein the moving element is configured so that the moving element can swing around a swing fulcrum, and the contacting / detaching means of the second pressurizing element. It has a swing member that moves the second pressure element in contact with and detached from the supported portion, and the swing fulcrum of the swing member is provided coaxially with the drive fulcrum of the drive means. It is a pressurizing device characterized by being present.

The invention according to claim 12 includes a processing means for applying a pressurized object on a medium, and a pressurizing device according to any one of claims 1 to 11 for pressurizing the pressurized object on the medium. It is a pressure processing device characterized by the above.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the embodiment provided with the paired pressure elements that can be brought into contact with each other, a driving reaction force is generated in the pressure elements when the paired pressure elements are brought into contact with each other to be driven. Even so, it is possible to suppress fluctuations in the contact pressure distribution in the contact region between the paired pressure elements.
According to the invention of claim 2, the object to be pressurized on the medium can be pressurized while being heated.
According to the invention of claim 3, even if the first pressurizing element has many accessory parts, it is not necessary to connect and detach the first pressurizing element, and the impact on the accessory parts at the time of contact and detachment is required. Can be suppressed.
According to the invention of claim 4, the apparatus configuration can be miniaturized as compared with the method of applying an elastic urging force by tensile deformation.
According to the invention of claim 5, it is possible to suppress the urging force by the urging means and reduce the torque at the time of driving.
According to the invention of claim 6, a typical mode of the moving element of the attachment / detachment means can be easily constructed.
According to the invention of claim 7, it is possible to easily construct a displacement member that displaces the swing member.
According to the invention of claim 8, the contact resistance between the swing member and the displacement member can be reduced as compared with the case where there is no cam follower.
According to the invention of claim 9, the second pressurizing element can be pressed against the moving element side of the contacting / detaching means, and the driving reaction is brought into the contact area between the first pressurizing element and the second pressurizing element. It is possible to appropriately suppress the situation where force acts.
According to the invention of claim 10, the driving force from the driving means can be appropriately transmitted to the second pressurizing element.
According to the invention of claim 11, as compared with the embodiment in which the swing fulcrum of the swing member and the drive fulcrum of the drive means are made non-coaxial, the contact / detachment means and the drive means are provided with respect to the second pressurizing element. When installing, the installation space can be suppressed.
According to the invention of claim 12, in the embodiment provided with the paired pressure elements that can be brought into contact with each other, a driving reaction force is generated in the pressure elements when the paired pressure elements are brought into contact with each other to be driven. Even so, it is possible to construct a pressurizing treatment device including a pressurizing device capable of suppressing fluctuations in the contact pressure distribution in the contact region between the paired pressurizing elements.

(A) is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of an embodiment of a pressure processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and (b) is an explanation showing a main part of a pressurizing apparatus used in the pressurizing apparatus according to (a). It is a figure. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the image forming apparatus as the pressure processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the fixing device as a pressurizing device used in Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the main part of the attachment / detachment mechanism of the fixing device which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the drive mechanism of the fixing device which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the modification 1 of the fixing device which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the modification 2 of the fixing device which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the main part of the fixing device which concerns on mode 1 of comparison. (A) is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the drive mechanism of the fixing device according to the first aspect of comparison, and (b) is an explanatory view showing an example of the nip pressure distribution in the longitudinal direction in the contact region of the fixing device. It is explanatory drawing which shows the main part of the fixing device which concerns on Embodiment 2 of comparison. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the inkjet apparatus as the pressure processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG.

(1) Outline of Embodiment FIG. 1 (a) is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of an embodiment of a pressure processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied.
In the figure, the pressurizing treatment device includes a processing means 8 for applying a pressurized object 9 on the medium S and a pressurizing device 1 for pressurizing the pressurized object 9 on the medium S. be.
Then, as shown in FIG. 1B, the pressurizing device 1 is provided so as to face the first pressurizing element 2 and the first pressurizing element 2, and the first pressurizing element 2 is provided. The second pressurizing element 3 that pressurizes the medium S by sandwiching it between them, and the contact that brings the second pressurizing element 3 into contact with the first pressurizing element 2 between the contact position and the retracted position. The release means 4, the urging means 6 for urging the first pressurizing element 2 toward the second pressurizing element 3 when the second pressurizing element 3 is located at the contact position, and the second pressurizing means. A driving means 7 that applies a driving force to the pressure element 3 and drives the first pressure element 2 when the second pressure element 3 is located at a contact position is provided, and the contact / detachment means 4 comprises. Of the second pressure element 3, the contact area CN between the first pressure element 2 and the second pressure element 3 is provided on the opposite side to the first pressure element 2 side. A pressurizing device having a moving element 5 for moving the pressurizing element 3 of the second, the driving means 7 applies a driving force in a direction in which the second pressurizing element 3 is pressed against the moving element 5. Is.

In such a technical means, the paired pressure elements 2 and 3 are not limited to the combination mode of the endless belt member and the roll member, but also include the mode in which all of them are roll members.
Further, the contact / detachment means 4 may have a moving element 5 for bringing the second pressurizing element 3 into contact with the first pressurizing element 2.
Further, the urging means 6 is necessary for maintaining the contact pressure in the contact area CN between the first pressurizing element 2 and the second pressurizing element 3, and urges the second pressurizing element 3. It does not include those that urge the first pressurizing element 2.
Furthermore, the driving means 7 may provide a driving force to the second pressurizing element 3 so that the second pressurizing element 3 is pressed against the moving element 5 side, whereby the first pressurizing element 7 is applied. It is possible to prevent the driving reaction force from acting on the contact area CN between the pressure element 2 and the second pressure element 3.

Next, a typical mode or a preferable mode of the pressurizing device according to the present embodiment will be described.
First, as a typical embodiment of the pressurizing device 1, the mode in which the first pressurizing element 2 is heated by the heating source 2b can be mentioned. This example is intended for an apparatus that pressurizes while heating, and is not limited to a mode in which the first pressurizing element 2 includes a heating source 2b, and the second pressurizing element 3 includes a heating source (not shown). Including those equipped with.
Further, among the embodiments in which the heating source 2b is included as the first pressurizing element 2, in the embodiment in which there are many accessory parts, the endless belt member 2a is heated by the heating source 2b, and the second pressurizing element 3 is used. An embodiment in which the opposing member 2c is installed on the back surface of the opposing belt member 2a can be mentioned.
Further, as a preferred embodiment of the urging means 6, from the viewpoint of reducing the installation space of the urging means 6, an elastic urging force by compressive deformation is given to the first pressing element 2.
Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment for suppressing the urging force by the urging means 6, the first pressurizing element 2 can be retracted within a range smaller than the amount of contact and separation of the second pressurizing element 3. Can be mentioned.

Further, as a preferred embodiment of the contact / disengagement means 4, the moving element 5 is configured to be swingable around a swing fulcrum, and the second pressurization is performed in relation to the supported portion of the second pressurization element 3. An embodiment having an oscillating member 5a for moving the element 3 in contact with and detaching the element 3 and a displacement member 5b for displacing the oscillating member 5a so as to oscillate within a predetermined range can be mentioned.
In this example, the swing member 5a may be composed of one functional member, or two functional members that can swing with respect to a common or different swing fulcrum are connected via a spring member. You may change the design as appropriate, such as configuring it. Further, as the displacement member 5b, for example, an eccentric rotation member (cam member) is typically used, but from the viewpoint of reducing the contact resistance with the swing member 5a, the swing member 5a has an eccentric rotation. It is preferable to have a cam follower at the contact portion with the member (cam member).

Further, as a typical aspect of the driving means 7, the driving force acting point on the second pressing element 3 is second than the supporting point of the second pressing element 3 by the moving element 5 of the contacting / separating means 4. Is located on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the pressure element 3 and is on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the second pressure element 3 from the contact area CN between the first pressure element 2 and the second pressure element 3. An aspect located in is mentioned.
Here, as a preferred embodiment of the driving means 7, a driving transmission system 7a (which gives a driving force in a direction away from the contact region CN of the second pressing element 3 at the point of action of the driving force on the second pressing element 3 ( For example, there is an embodiment having a drive transmission gear train).
As a more preferable embodiment of such a driving means 7, the moving element 5 is configured to be swingable around a swing fulcrum, and the second addition is related to the supported portion of the second pressurizing element 3. There is an embodiment in which the rocking member 5a for moving the pressure element 3 so as to be brought into contact with and separated from the pressure element 3 is provided, and the rocking fulcrum of the rocking member 5a is provided coaxially with the drive fulcrum of the drive means 7. This example is preferable in that a part of the space for installing the contact / detachment means 4 and the drive means 7 can be shared.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail based on the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
◎ Embodiment 1
-Overall configuration of image forming apparatus-
FIG. 2 shows the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus which is an example of the pressurizing apparatus according to the first embodiment.
In the figure, the image forming apparatus 20 mounts, for example, an image forming engine 22 for producing a plurality of color component images in the apparatus housing 21, and supplies paper as a medium below the image forming engine 22. A paper supply container 23 (in this example, a one-stage configuration is illustrated) is arranged to transport the paper supplied from the paper supply container 23 through a paper transport path 24 extending in a substantially vertical direction, and an image drawing engine is used. After the image produced in 22 is transferred by the batch transfer device 25, the image transferred on the paper is fixed by the fixing device 26 as an example of the pressurizing device, and is provided, for example, on the upper part of the device housing 21. The paper with the image fixed is ejected to the paper ejection receiver 27.

-Image drawing engine-
In this example, the image-forming engine 22 uses a plurality of color component toners (in this example, Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black)) toners that employ an electrophotographic method. After primary transfer of each color component image produced by each image forming unit 30 to the intermediate transfer body 40 having the parts 30 (specifically, 30a to 30d), the image on the intermediate transfer body 40 is performed by the batch transfer device 25. Is made to be collectively transferred (secondary transfer) to paper.
In this example, the image forming unit 30 (30a to 30d) has, for example, a drum-shaped photoconductor 31, and around the photoconductor 31, a charging device 32 for charging the photoconductor 31 and a charged photosensitizer are used. A latent image writing device 33 that forms an electrostatic latent image on the body 31, a developing device 34 that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor 31 with each color component toner, and an intermediate transfer facing the photoconductor 31. A primary transfer device 35 provided on the back surface of the body 40 for primary transfer of the image on the photoconductor 31 to the intermediate transfer body 40 and a cleaning device 36 for cleaning the toner remaining on the photoconductor 31 after the primary transfer are sequentially arranged. It was set up.
In this example, as the latent image writing device 33, a device in which each image forming unit 30 is separately written by, for example, an LED array is used, but the present invention is not limited to this, and each image forming is not limited to this. A common laser scanning device for writing an electrostatic latent image of each color component with a corresponding laser beam may be provided on the unit 30, or a laser scanning device may be provided separately for each. Further, reference numerals 37 (specifically, 37a to 37d) are toner cartridges for supplying each color component toner to each developing device 34 of each image forming unit 30 (30a to 30d).

Further, in this example, the intermediate transfer body 40 is composed of, for example, a belt-shaped member that is hung on a plurality of tension rolls 41 to 44, and is driven so as to be able to circulate and rotate in a predetermined direction by using, for example, the tension roll 41 as a drive roll. The tension roll 43 functions as a tension applying roll that applies a desired tension to the intermediate transfer body 40.
Reference numeral 47 is a cleaning device for the intermediate transfer body that cleans the residue (toner, paper dust, etc.) on the intermediate transfer body 40.
Furthermore, in this example, the batch transfer device 25 has a transfer roll 25a that is in contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer body 40 in a driven manner, and the tension roll 42 of the intermediate transfer body 40 is used as a counter electrode, and the transfer roll By forming a desired transfer electric field between the 25a and the counter electrode, the images held on the intermediate transfer body 40 are collectively transferred to the paper.
Further, in the paper transport path 24, an alignment roll 28 for aligning the paper to be fed to the batch transfer device 25 is provided on the inlet side of the batch transfer device 25, and immediately before the paper discharge receiver 27 of the paper transport path 24. Is provided with a discharge roll 29.

-Overall configuration of fixing device-
In the present embodiment, the fixing device 26 adds a heating function to the first pressure element, sandwiches and conveys the paper with the second pressure element, and transfers the unfixed image transferred onto the paper. It is fixed by heating and pressurizing.
In this example, as the first pressure element, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, for example, a so-called induction heating method is adopted, and the heating fixing belt 61 having a heat generating layer that generates heat by the action of a magnetic field is used. The magnetic field generator 63, which is arranged with a predetermined gap with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the heat fixing belt 61 and generates a magnetic field to generate heat in the heat fixing belt 61, and the second pressure element of the heat fixing belt 61. A pressure pad 65, which is arranged on the back surface side of the facing portion and presses the heat fixing belt 61 against the second pressure element side, is used.
On the other hand, as the second pressure element, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the heat fixing belt 61 is provided so as to face the portion corresponding to the pressing pad 65, and the paper is placed between the heat fixing belt 61 and the heat fixing belt 61. A pressure fixing roll 62 that is sandwiched and conveyed is used.

<Fixing heating belt / fixing pressure roll>
In this example, the heat fixing belt 61 has an endless belt member, and the belt member used is at least wider than the width of the paper. The belt member is configured as a multi-layer structure such as a base layer, for example, a conductive layer (functioning as a heat generating layer) made of non-magnetic metal, an elastic layer, and a surface layer.
Further, the pressure fixing roll 62 is provided with a roll body 622 made of an elastic body around the rotating shaft 621.

<Magnetic field generator>
In this example, the magnetic field generator 63 has a pedestal portion 631 that surrounds a substantially half-circumfering portion of the outer peripheral surface of the heat fixing belt 61 that is located on the opposite side of the pressure fixing roll 62. The pedestal portion 631 is formed in an arcuate cross section extending along the width direction of the heat fixing belt 61, and the pedestal portion 631 is provided with a coil receiving portion 632 that orbits along the width direction of the heat fixing belt 61. An exciting coil 633 having a winding structure is held in the coil receiving portion 632.
Further, in this example, the outside of the magnetic field generator 63, specifically, the back side of the exciting coil 633 of the pedestal portion 631 (corresponding to the side opposite to the heating fixing belt 61) and the heating facing the magnetic field generator 63. Magnetic field holding members 64 (specifically, 64a and 64b) are provided inside the fixing belt 61, respectively. The magnetic field holding members 64 (64a, 64b) are made of a magnetic material (for example, ferrite), are formed in a substantially arcuate cross section along the shape of the pedestal portion 631, and the heating fixing belt 61 is sandwiched from the outside and the inside to excite the coil 633. A desired magnetic path is formed by holding the magnetic field generated from the above, and the heating efficiency by electromagnetic induction is enhanced.

<Structure around the pressing pad>
A pad support member 66 that supports the pressure pad 65 is arranged in the heat fixing belt 61 facing the pressure fixing roll 62. The pad support member 66 is formed in a rod shape extending in the width direction of the heat fixing belt 61, and the pressure pad 65 is supported at a portion of the pad support member 66 facing the pressure fixing roll 62, and the pressure fixing roll The heat fixing belt 61 is pressed against the 62, and the paper S is sandwiched and conveyed between the pressure fixing roll 62 and the heat fixing belt 61 by a predetermined contact area CN, and the image on the paper S is fixed. It has become like.
In this example, the pad support member 66 is provided with a support bracket 67 that supports the magnetic field holding member 64 (64b) located in the heat fixing belt 61.

-Support structure of fixing device-
<Support structure of heat fixing belt>
In the present embodiment, as a support structure of the heat fixing belt 61, as shown in FIG. 4, the pad support member 66 and the magnetic field generator 63 are paired on both sides in the width direction intersecting the moving direction of the heat fixing belt 61. It is held in the holder 68 and integrated as a first pressure element.
In particular, in this example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, each of the paired holders 68 has a holder arm 681 that can swing with a predetermined fulcrum P1 as a swing fulcrum, and each has a coil shape. The heat fixing belt 61 is urged toward the pressure fixing roll 62 side by the force spring 69, and the heat fixing belt 61 is arranged so as to be retractable from a predetermined initial position.
Here, each component of the fixing device 26 is housed in the fixing housing 261. For example, a holding pin 262 is fixedly provided in a part of the fixing housing 261 and an urging spring 69 is attached to the holding pin 262. Is positioned, and one end of the urging spring 69 is hooked on the base end side of the holding pin 262, while the other end of the urging spring 69 compressed and deformed is hooked on the hook piece 682 formed in a part of the holder arm 681. As a result, the elastic return force of the urging spring 69 urges the holder arm 681 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 5 with the fulcrum P1 as the swing fulcrum, and the stopper wall 263 formed in a part of the fixing housing 261. The stopper protrusion 683 formed on a part of the holder arm 681 is abutted against the holder arm 681 to determine the initial position of the heat fixing belt 61.
In this example, as shown in FIG. 5, the fulcrum P1 is a region between the contact area CN between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62 and the center of the rotation shaft 621 of the pressure fixing roll 62. It is located in the area where the paper enters.

<Support structure of pressure fixing roll>
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the pressure fixing roll 62 has a structure in which both ends of the rotating shaft 621 of the roll body 622 are rotatably supported by bearing parts 71 and 72.
In this example, one bearing component 71 located on the back side (Rr side in the figure) of the device housing 21 is installed at a predetermined position and is located on the front side (Ft side in the figure) of the device housing 21. The other bearing component 72 located is movably supported by the contact / detachment mechanism 80.
Here, in the contact / detachment mechanism 80, the support portion by one bearing component 72 of the pressure fixing roll 62 is set as the swing fulcrum P0, and the support portion by the other bearing component 72 of the pressure fixing roll 62 intersects in the rotation axis direction. The contact position where the pressure fixing roll 62 comes into contact with the heat fixing belt 61 located at the initial position and the pressure fixing by moving along the crossing direction (in this example, the arrow direction Z corresponding to the vertical direction in FIG. 4). The pressure fixing roll 62 is brought into contact with and separated from the heating fixing belt 61 with and from the retracting position where the roll 62 is retracted from the contact position.
In this example, the contact / detachment mechanism 80 releases the contact state between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62 when, for example, a paper jam occurs in the contact area CN of the fixing device 26. In addition to enabling jam processing work, for example, when the fixing device 26 is started up, the pressure fixing roll 62 is temporarily retracted from the heat fixing belt 61 to the retracted position to eliminate heat conduction to the pressure fixing roll 62. Therefore, only the heat fixing belt 61 may be efficiently heated.
The details of the contact / detachment mechanism 80 will be described later.

-Drive system of fixing device-
In this example, as shown in FIG. 4, the fixing device 26 has a drive mechanism 90 connected to an end portion of the pressure fixing roll 62 located on the back side of the rotating shaft 621.
Here, as the drive mechanism 90, the driven transmission gear 93 is coaxially connected to the end of the rotating shaft 621 of the pressure fixing roll 62, while the driving force from the drive motor 91 is determined in advance in the drive transmission gear train. A mode of transmitting to the driven transmission gear 93 via the drive transmission mechanism 92 such as the above is used.
In this example, the drive mechanism 90 drives and rotates the pressure fixing roll 62, and contacts the pressure fixing roll 62 with the pressure fixing roll 62 arranged at the contact position by the contact / detachment mechanism 80. The heating fixing belt 61 is driven to rotate.

-Fixing device control system-
In this example, as shown in FIG. 4, the control device 100 is connected to the fixing device 26, and the control device 100 is connected to, for example, a processor such as a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a microcomputer including an I / O port. A control signal is sent to the contact / detachment mechanism 80 and the drive mechanism 90 according to an image drawing program pre-installed in the processor to control the contact / detachment operation of the contact / detachment mechanism 80 and the drive operation by the drive mechanism 90. ing.
Here, the drive start timing by the drive mechanism 90 may be appropriately selected, and may be after the pressure fixing roll 62 is moved to the contact position by the contact / detachment mechanism 80, or before reaching the contact position. The pressure fixing roll 62 may be driven.
Further, as the temperature control system of the fixing device 26, a temperature sensor (not shown) is installed in contact or non-contact at an appropriate position on the inner peripheral surface of the heating fixing belt 61, and the heating fixing belt 61 is installed by the temperature sensor. The control device 100 controls the temperature of the heat fixing belt 61 by controlling the generation of the magnetic field by the magnetic field generator 63 based on the detection information from the temperature sensor.

-Configuration example of contact / detachment mechanism-
FIG. 5 describes a configuration example of the contact / detachment mechanism 80 incorporated in the fixing device 26.
In the figure, the contact / detachment mechanism 80 has a first support arm 81 that swings with a predetermined fulcrum P2 (in this example, one coaxial with the fulcrum P1 of the holder arm 681) as a swing fulcrum, and a first support arm 81. It has a second support arm 82 that swings with the same fulcrum P2 as the support arm 81 of 1 as a swing fulcrum.
In this example, the first support arm 81 is substantially around the bearing component 72 of the pressure fixing roll 62 located on the opposite side of the contact area CN between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62 from the fulcrum P2. It is composed of an arm member 811 that surrounds it in an L shape, and a cam member 83 as an eccentric rotating member is installed in a portion of the arm member 811 located on the side opposite to the bearing component 72, and an arm member corresponding to the cam member 83. The 811 is provided with, for example, a cam follower 84 made of a rotating roller.

Further, the second support arm 82 has a substantially C shape around the bearing component 72 of the pressure fixing roll 62 toward the side opposite to the contact area CN between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62 from the fulcrum P2. It is composed of an arm member 821 that surrounds the arm member 821, and a recess 822 that holds the bearing component 72 is formed on the side of the arm member 821 that faces the bearing component 72, and the tip bent portion and the first support of the arm member 821 are formed. A nip spring 85 is interposed between the arm 81 and the tip bent portion of the arm member 811 in a compressed and deformed state, and further, the tip bent portions of the respective arm members 811 and 821 are connected by a nip screw 86. The nip spring 85 is positioned and held, and the maximum span between the bent ends of the arm members 811 and 821 is regulated.

-Selection of drive action point by drive mechanism-
In the drive mechanism 90 of this example, as shown in FIG. 6, the driving force of the drive motor 91 is transmitted to the driven transmission gear 93 of the pressure fixing roll 62 via the drive transmission mechanism 92, but the drive transmission mechanism The meshing position Q between the drive transmission gear 92a located at the final stage of 92 and the driven transmission gear 93 is the rotation of the pressure fixing roll 62 rather than the contact area CN between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62. It is selected on the downstream side in the direction and on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the pressure fixing roll 62 from the contact portion between the recess 822 of the second support arm 82 of the contact / detachment mechanism 80 and the bearing component 72.
In addition, in FIG. 6, the main part of the contact / detachment mechanism 80 shown in FIG. 5 is schematically displayed.

-Activation of fixing device-
<Connecting and detaching operation of fixing device>
First, the contact / detachment operation of the fixing device 26 will be described.
When driving the fixing device 26, the pressure fixing roll 62 is moved to a contact position with respect to the heat fixing belt 61, and a contact area of a predetermined contact pressure between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62 is established. It is necessary to form a CN.
At this time, in the contact / detachment mechanism 80, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the distance from the center of the cam member 83 to the cam follower 84 is increased by a drive motor (not shown). Rotate and stop at a predetermined length. In this state, the first support arm 81 swings with the fulcrum P1 as the swing fulcrum in the direction of approaching the heat fixing belt 61 via the cam follower 84 by the cam member 83. Then, since the swing tip side of the first support arm 81 presses in the direction of compressing the nip spring 85, the nip spring 85 presses the swing tip side of the second support arm 82. In this case, since the second support arm 82 presses the bearing component 72 toward the heat fixing belt 61 side in a state where the bearing component 72 is embraced in the recess 822 of the arm member 821, the bearing component 72 side of the pressure fixing roll 62 is one of the bearings. It swings with the component 71 side as a swing fulcrum and is arranged at a contact position to form a contact region CN with the heat fixing belt 61. At this time, the pressure fixing roll 62 is arranged at a predetermined contact position and comes into contact with the heat fixing belt 61 urged by the urging spring 69. Therefore, in the contact area CN, the nip load due to the urging force of the urging spring 69 acts.
Then, under the condition that the heated state of the heat fixing belt 61 reaches the temperature required for the fixing process, the unfixed image on the paper S passes through the contact area CN between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62. Then, the unfixed image on the paper S is heated and pressurized to be fixed.

Further, when, for example, a paper jam occurs in the contact area CN of the fixing device 26, it is necessary to release the contact state (nip state) between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62.
At this time, in the contact / detachment mechanism 80, a drive motor (not shown) rotates the cam member 83 in a direction in which the distance from the center of the cam member 83 to the cam follower 84 becomes shorter, and the length is determined in advance. Stop at every point. In this state, the first support arm 81 is pressed toward the cam member 83 by the elastic return force of the nip spring 85 interposed between the first support arm 81 and the second support arm 82. Along with this, the second support arm 82 is also pulled toward the cam member 83, and the bearing component 72 embraced by the second support arm 82 moves away from the heat fixing belt 61, and the pressure fixing roll 62 Evacuates to a predetermined evacuation position. Since the maximum span of the length of the nip spring 85 is regulated by the nip screw 86, the nip spring 85 does not extend beyond a certain level.

<Drive operation of fixing device>
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the driving action point (corresponding to the meshing position Q) by the driving mechanism 90 is the pressure fixing roll rather than the contact area CN between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62. It is selected on the downstream side in the rotation direction of 62 and on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the pressure fixing roll 62 from the contact portion between the recess 822 of the second support arm 82 of the contact / detachment mechanism 80 and the bearing component 72. In this state, a drive reaction force F that accompanies the application of the drive force by the drive mechanism 90 acts on the contact / detachment mechanism 80, but in this example, this drive reaction force F is received by the cam member 83. .. Therefore, in this example, only the nip load by the urging spring 69 acts on the contact area CN between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62, and the drive reaction force F does not act on the contact area CN. There is no concern that the nip load in the region CN becomes unbalanced between the drive side of the pressure fixing roll 62 and the opposite drive side opposite to the drive side, and the nip load is stable over the entire longitudinal direction of the contact region CN.

In the present embodiment, since the contact / detachment mechanism 80 is configured to attach / detach the pressure fixing roll 62 to / from the heat fixing belt 61, it is compared with the method of attaching / detaching the heat fixing belt 61 (comparative embodiment 1). Therefore, it is easy to secure the amount of contact and separation between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62.
Further, in the present embodiment, since the heating fixing belt 61 has a configuration in which the urging spring 69 compresses only from the initial position to the nip load position, it is possible to suppress the nip load in the contact area CN to some extent. Therefore, the torque when the pressure fixing roll 62 is driven can be suppressed to a low level.
Further, in the present embodiment, the heat fixing belt 61 includes many accessories, but since it is not a method of connecting and disconnecting the heat fixing belt 61, the heat fixing belt 61 having many accessories can be connected and separated. There is little concern that it will have a large impact on the accessories.

◎ Deformation form 1
FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a main part of the fixing device according to the first modification.
In the figure, the basic configuration of the fixing device 26 is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, but unlike the first embodiment, the positions of the swing fulcrums of the first support arm 81 and the second support arm 82 are located. It is a modified one. The same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted here.
In this example, the basic configuration of the drive mechanism 90 is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, and the meshing position Q between the drive transmission gear 92a located at the final stage of the drive transmission mechanism 92 and the driven transmission gear 93 Is located downstream of the contact area CN between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62 in the rotation direction of the pressure fixing roll 62, and the recess 822 and the bearing component of the second support arm 82 of the contact / detachment mechanism 80. It is selected on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the pressure fixing roll 62 from the contact portion with 72.
Here, assuming that the rotation fulcrum of the drive transmission gear 92a is P3, the swing fulcrum of the first support arm 81 and the second support arm 82 is coaxial with the rotation fulcrum P3 of the drive transmission gear 92a.
According to this example, the positions of the swing fulcrums of the first support arm 81 and the second support arm 82 of the contact / detachment mechanism 80 are made coaxial with the rotation fulcrum P3 of the drive transmission gear 92a of the drive mechanism 90. Compared with the mode in which both are provided at different positions, it is possible to save space in the layout of each component of the contact / detachment mechanism 80 and the drive mechanism 90.
Although not shown, it is also possible to make the fulcrum P1 of the holder arm 681 of the heat fixing belt 61 coaxial with the rotation fulcrum P3 of the drive transmission gear 92a.

◎ Deformation form 2
FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a main part of the fixing device according to the second modification.
In the figure, the basic configuration of the fixing device 26 is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, but includes a contact / detachment mechanism 80 different from that of the first embodiment. The same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted here.
In the figure, the contact / detachment mechanism 80 adopts a method in which one support arm 88 is used instead of two support arms (first support arm 81 and second support arm 82).
In this example, the support arm 88 has a substantially C-shape around the bearing component 72 of the pressure fixing roll 62 from the fulcrum P2 toward the side opposite to the contact area CN between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62. A cam member 83 is installed at a portion of the arm member 881 located on the opposite side of the bearing component 72, and the arm member 881 corresponding to the cam member 83 is composed of, for example, a rotating roller. A cam follower 84 is provided.
Further, a recess 882 for embracing the bearing component 72 is formed on the side of the arm member 881 facing the bearing component 72, and between the bent end portion of the arm member 881 and a part of the fixing housing 261. Is interposed in a state where the nip spring 85 is compressed and deformed, and further, the tip bent portion of the arm member 881 and a part of the fixing housing 261 are connected by a nip screw 86 to position and hold the nip spring 85. At the same time, the maximum span between the bent end portion of the arm member 881 and a part 264 of the fixing housing 261 is regulated.
In this example, the urging force of the nip spring 85 acts strongly on the support arm 88 as compared with the contact / detachment mechanism 80 according to the first embodiment, but the other basic actions are the same as those of the first embodiment. It is almost the same.

Further, in evaluating the performance of the fixing device according to the first embodiment, the fixing device according to the first and second embodiments of the comparison is compared with the fixing device.
◎ Comparison form 1
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a main part of the fixing device according to the first aspect of comparison.
In the figure, the basic configuration of the fixing device 26 is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, but the contact / detachment mechanism 80'different from that of the first embodiment is provided, and the driving action point by the driving mechanism 90'(the meshing position described later). (Corresponding to Q') is also different from the first embodiment.
In the figure, the pressure fixing roll 62 is fixedly installed at a predetermined position.
On the other hand, in this example, a paired contact / disconnection mechanism 90'is provided on the heating fixing belt 61 side.
Here, the contact / detachment mechanism 80'protrudes the support arm 181 from the holder 68 of the heat fixing belt 61 to swingably support the support arm 181 with respect to the fixing housing 261, and further, the fixing housing 261 A holding pin 262 is fixedly provided in a part thereof, and a nip spring 182 is positioned on the holding pin 262, and one end of the nip spring 182 is hooked on the base end side of the holding pin 262 while being formed on a part of the holder 68. By hooking the other end of the compression-deformed nip spring 182 on the hooked piece 682, the elastic return force of the nip spring 182 urges the support arm 181 in the counterclockwise direction around the swing fulcrum of FIG. It was done.
Further, the contact / detachment mechanism 80'installs a cam member 183 which is a rotation eccentric member in the area on the paper outlet side of the holder 68 in the fixing housing 261 and a cam follower composed of, for example, a rotating roller in the holder 68 facing the cam member 183. 184 is provided.

Further, in the drive mechanism 90', as shown in FIG. 10A, the driving force of the drive motor 91'is transmitted to the driven transmission gear 93'of the pressure fixing roll 62 via the drive transmission mechanism 92'. However, the meshing position Q'between the drive transmission gear 92a'positioned at the final stage of the drive transmission mechanism 92'and the driven transmission gear 93'is the contact area CN between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62. The position where the transmission direction of the driving force is directed toward the contact area CN between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62 is selected on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the pressure fixing roll 62.

According to this example, when the distance between the peripheral surface of the cam member 183 and the cam follower 184 is a predetermined short distance, the holder 68 moves with the support arm 181 as a swing fulcrum by the urging force of the nip spring 182. , The heat fixing belt 61 is arranged at a contact position where it comes into contact with the pressure fixing roll 62. Further, when the distance between the peripheral surface of the cam member 183 and the cam follower 184 is a predetermined long distance, the cam member 183 swings the holder 68 clockwise while further compressing and deforming the nip spring 182. The heat fixing belt 61 is arranged at a retracted position with respect to the pressure fixing roll 62.
However, in this example, since the amount of contact and separation of the heat fixing belt 61 by the cam mechanism (cam member 183, cam follower 184) with respect to the pressure fixing roll 62 is small, the heat fixing belt 61 with respect to the pressure fixing roll 62 It is difficult to perform the contact / detachment operation in a stable manner.
Further, if an attempt is made to secure a large amount of contact and detachment of the heat fixing belt 61, the nip load due to the nip spring 182 becomes large, and it becomes difficult to reduce the torque when the pressure fixing roll 62 is driven. It is difficult for the heat fixing belt 61, which has many accessories, to attack the impact caused by the contact / separation operation.

Further, in the form of this comparison, the drive reaction force F'accompanied by the application of the drive force by the drive mechanism 90'acts on the contact area CN between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62. Therefore, in this example, in addition to the nip load by the nip spring 182, the drive reaction force F'acts on the drive mechanism 90'side in the contact area CN, and as shown in FIG. 10B, the contact area There is a concern that the nip load in the CN may become unbalanced between the drive side of the pressure fixing roll 62 and the opposite drive side opposite to the drive side.

◎ Comparison form 2
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a main part of the fixing device according to the second form of comparison.
In the figure, the basic configuration of the fixing device 26 is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, but includes a contact / detachment mechanism 80'different from that of the first embodiment. The driving action point by the driving mechanism 90'(see FIG. 10) is substantially the same as that of the first form of comparison.
In this example, the heat fixing belt 61 is fixedly installed at a predetermined position.
On the other hand, the contact / detachment mechanism 80'of the pressure fixing roll 62 is configured in substantially the same manner as in the first embodiment, for example.

In this comparative embodiment, the heat fixing belt 61 side is fixedly installed, and the nip load in the contact area CN between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62 directly affects the urging force of the nip spring 85. If a large contact / separation amount of the release mechanism 80'is to be secured, the nip load due to the nip spring 85 becomes large, and it becomes difficult to reduce the torque when the pressure fixing roll 62 is driven.
Further, also in the present comparative mode, the drive reaction force F'accompanied by the application of the drive force by the drive mechanism 90'acts on the contact area CN between the heat fixing belt 61 and the pressure fixing roll 62. Therefore, in this example, in addition to the nip load by the nip spring 85, the drive reaction force F'acts on the drive mechanism 90'side in the contact area CN, and as shown in FIG. 10B, the contact area There is a concern that the nip load in the CN may become unbalanced between the drive side of the pressure fixing roll 62 and the opposite drive side opposite to the drive side.

◎ Embodiment 2
FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing a main part of an inkjet printer as an example of the pressure processing apparatus according to the second embodiment.
In the figure, the inkjet printer 200 is provided with an ink cartridge 201 containing ink for printing, a print head 202 having a nozzle for ejecting ink on the lower surface thereof, and a platen 203 facing the print head 202. ing. The printing means is composed of the ink cartridge 201 and the platen 203. Further, in the figure, reference numeral 206 is a pair of transport rolls for transporting the transfer material 210, and reference numeral 207 is a discharge port from which the transfer material 210 for which thermal transfer has been completed is discharged.
Further, reference numeral 220 is a thermocompression bonding device as a pressurizing device, which comprises a hot roll 221 and a platen roll 222 for transferring the ink of the hot stamp foil to the transfer material 210 together with the foil layer.

Reference numeral 223 is a roll around which the hot stamp foil 230 is wound, and the hot stamp foil 230 unwound from the roll 223 is conveyed between the print head 202 and the platen 203, and pattern printing with ink is performed at this portion. Will be done. The hot stamp foil 230 on which the pattern is printed is sent to the thermocompression bonding apparatus 220, where the foil layer is transferred to the transfer material 210 together with the ink by thermocompression bonding. Reference numeral 224 is a roll for winding up the hot stamping foil 230 for which transfer has been completed, and 225 and 226 are guide rolls for guiding the hot stamping foil 230.
In addition to the above, the inkjet printer 200 is provided with an ink carrier that holds the ink cartridge 201 and reciprocates, a drive mechanism for driving the ink carrier, and the like, but these illustrations are omitted in this example. There is.

In order to perform thermal transfer using the inkjet printer 200 as described above, a control device (not shown) creates a left-right inverted pattern of a desired pattern to be printed on the transfer material 210. Then, when the data of the pattern is sent to the inkjet printer 200, the inkjet printer 200 prints the left-right inverted pattern on the hot stamp foil 230 by the ink ejected from the print head 202 according to the pattern. The hot stamp foil 230 on which the ink pattern is printed in this way is sent between the hot roll 221 and the platen roll 222 of the thermocompression bonding apparatus 220. On the other hand, the transfer material 210 is conveyed to the thermocompression bonding device 220 by the transfer roll 206, where it is laminated on the hot stamp foil 230. Then, at this overlapping portion, thermocompression bonding is performed by the hot roll 221 and the platen roll 222. As a result, the ink printed on the hot stamp foil 230 softens and adheres to the transfer material 210, and the foil layer of the hot stamp foil 230 is transferred to the transfer material 210 together with the ink. The material to be transferred 210, which has been thermally transferred, is discharged from the discharge port 207, and the hot stamped foil 230 from which the foil layer has been removed is wound around the roll 224.

In this example, the present invention may be applied to the hot roll 221 and the platen roll 222 of the thermocompression bonding apparatus 220 as the first pressure element and the second pressure element, respectively.
In this example, the transfer material 210 is supplied to the thermocompression bonding device 220 by the transfer roll 206, but the transfer material 210 may be manually set in the thermocompression bonding device 220 each time the transfer is performed. Further, the platen roll 222 may be movable in the vertical direction so that the gap between the hot roll 221 and the platen roll 222 can be adjusted so as to be compatible with the transfer material 210 having various thicknesses. Further, in this example, the hot stamp foil 230 is wound around the roll 223 and stored in the inkjet printer 200 in advance, but the hot stamp foil 230 may be supplied from the outside of the inkjet printer 200.

1 ... Pressurizing device, 2 ... First pressurizing element, 2a ... Belt member, 2b ... Heating source, 2c ... Opposing member, 3 ... Second pressurizing element, 4 ... Contacting and separating means, 5 ... Moving element, 5a ... rocking member, 5b ... displacement member, 6 ... urging means, 7 ... driving means, 7a ... driving transmission system, 8 ... processing means, 9 ... pressurized object, CN ... contact area, S ... medium

Claims (12)

The first pressurizing element and
A second pressurizing element, which is provided so as to face the first pressurizing element and pressurizes by sandwiching a medium between the first pressurizing element and the first pressurizing element.
A contact / detachment means for bringing the second pressurizing element into contact with the first pressurizing element between the contact position and the retracted position.
An urging means for urging the first pressurizing element toward the second pressurizing element when the second pressurizing element is located at the contact position.
A driving means that applies a driving force to the second pressure element and drives the first pressure element when the second pressure element is located at the contact position.
With
The contact / detachment means is provided on the side of the second pressurizing element opposite to the contact area between the first pressurizing element and the second pressurizing element, and the first pressurizing element is provided. It has a moving element that moves the second pressurizing element toward the side.
The driving means is a pressurizing device characterized in that the driving force is applied in a direction in which the second pressurizing element is pressed against the moving element side. In the pressurizing device according to claim 1,
A pressurizing device, wherein the first pressurizing element is heated by a heating source. In the pressurizing device according to claim 2,
The first pressurizing element is characterized in that an endless belt member is heated by a heating source, and an opposing member is installed on the back surface of the belt member facing the second pressurizing element. Pressurizing device. In the pressurizing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The pressurizing means is a pressurizing device that applies an elastic urging force due to compression deformation to a first pressurizing element. In the pressurizing device according to claim 4,
The first pressurizing element is a pressurizing device characterized in that it can be retracted within a range smaller than the amount of contact and separation of the second pressurizing element. In the pressurizing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
In the contact / disengagement means, the moving element is configured to swing around a swing fulcrum, and the second pressure element is brought into contact with the supported portion of the second pressure element. A pressurizing device comprising: a swinging member that moves the swinging member to, and a displacement member that displaces the swinging member so as to swing within a predetermined range. In the pressurizing device according to claim 6,
The displacement member is a pressurizing device characterized by being an eccentric rotating member. In the pressurizing device according to claim 7,
The rocking member is a pressurizing device having a cam follower at a contact portion with the eccentric rotating member. In the pressurizing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
In the driving means, the point of action of the driving force on the second pressure element is the rotation of the second pressure element with respect to the support point of the second pressure element by the moving element of the contact / detachment means. It is characterized that it is located on the upstream side in the direction and is located on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the second pressure element with respect to the contact area between the first pressure element and the second pressure element. Pressurizing device. In the pressurizing device according to claim 9,
The driving means has a pressurizing system that gives a driving force in a direction away from the contact region at a point of action of the driving force on the second pressurizing element. Device. In the pressurizing device according to claim 10,
In the contact / disengagement means, the moving element is configured to swing around a swing fulcrum, and the second pressure element is brought into contact with the supported portion of the second pressure element. Has a swinging member to move to
A pressurizing device characterized in that the swing fulcrum of the swing member is provided coaxially with the drive fulcrum of the drive means. A processing means for applying a pressurized object on the medium, and
The pressurizing processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising the pressurizing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

Images